CB Thanksgiving & Mom Gets a Year Younger

This past weekend Jimmy and I hosted a Heintzelman Thanksgiving in CB. I took off work on Friday to help prepare for the big meal Friday evening. My dad and I met Ali and my mom out for breakfast, we went for a beach walk and then we came back to my house to start cooking. Food was on the table when Jimmy got home. Per usual, everything was delicious!

After dinner we quickly cleaned up and walked to "downtown" CB to watch the Christmas parade. It's pretty silly. Along with typical parade floats, there are just average cars decorated with lights and even average cars NOT decorated with lights. We think the latter were just ol' grannies stuck "in traffic" on their way to the grocery store.

Awesome reindeer truck

Festive float

Saturday my dad and Ali helped Jimmy and I decorate our tree (pics to come!) and then we went over to my mom's to watch the CB flotilla. If the parade is silly, the flotilla is just down right lame.  There were maybe 7 boats spaced 10 minutes apart, most of which weren't even that well decorated. Oh well! We'll know next year not to get excited...or to go to Wrightsville Beach the weekend before to see their more reputable flotilla. We then ended the evening with dinner at Indochine. Of all the times my dad has been here, he'd never been there so we thought it was about time. 

Last, but certainly not least, Sunday - my mom's birthday - was spent picking up our house a little and then it was over to my mom's to help her decorate her tree and cook her dinner. My mom's friend got her a really nice bottle of pinot noir. That was the first time I have pined for a glass of wine in my pregnancy so far. You're beyond worth it, baby...

Not a great pic, but dinner and company was great! Jimmy and I apparently felt the need to represent our alma mater on the left side of the table.

I love how she does the red, white and silver on her tree...

Happy Happy Birthday Momma! We love you!

Just a sweet pic of Malloy to end this post. He loves to sit on my lap in this chair, but I had never seen him just crawl up there to sit by himself before. Look at that perm on top of this head!

Maryland Thanksgiving

Very late posting on our Thanksgiving in Maryland. It was a fun filled long weekend complete with lots of good food, Connor!, extended family time and more. A lot of the pictures to follow are borrowed from family - thanks Amy, Kelly & Debi.

We got into town Wednesday afternoon and I spent the evening with Marisol learning how to cook her family's famous Arroz con Pollo - delicious! Thursday morning Marsiol, Jessica and I got up to meet Jamie, Austin, Jen and a bunch of Marisol's friends for the Turkey Trot 5K in Frederick, MD. The race was following by a delicious brunch including (virgin) bloody mary's and mimosas at Nina's. Thanks Jamie and Jen for running with my pregnant butt!

When we got back to Dan and Marisol's place my favorite little man, Connor, was there. How cute is his outfit?

I quickly showered and all the siblings piled in Kelly's minivan to go to the Shouse family Thanksgiving.  It was so good to see everyone and the food was amazing!

Looks like I'm holding on and won't let go of Connor

All the cousins

Oh look it's me holding Connor again :)

Friday was the O'Connor family Thanksgiving and, as always, everything was great and it was so nice to catch up with our loved ones.

Austin gearing up for Turkey Bowl

2011 Turkey Bowl

Cooking up a storm

Wearing the onesie I got him

Saturday we went to Riva to spend the day and night with Martha and Ron. We went to downtown Annapolis for window shopping and an impromptu pub crawl. We ended the evening with dinner at Kevin's favorite - Outback Steakhouse.

Can't wait to see everyone again over Christmas.

15 Weeks Wednesday

I'm running around getting ready for Thanksgiving number 3 with my family this weekend and realized that I hadn't posted pics from MD last weekend or celebrated my 15th week yet!

So here's to 15 weeks! Belly shot next week to ring in 16 weeks or, in pre-pregnant or math challenged people terms, 4 months!

Thanksgiving pics to come soon too!

14 Weeks Wednesday

Celebrating the end of my 14th week on my way to Maryland for Thanksgiving with the O'Connor and Shouse families. Can't wait to see everyone!!

Otherwise nothing new to report. Still feeling great, just tired. Oh and a sore tailbone. I really hope my luck in not getting morning sickness, doesn't come back to bite me in the form of 3 trimesters of exhaustion :) Symptoms could definitely be worse though - reading, sleeping, napping - just following doctors orders!! Really, couldn't be happier!

About 2.5 hours away from Dan and Marisol's - so far minimal traffic. Knock on wood :)

Boy or Girl?

So we went to our second prenatal appointment today and so far, so good. Checking out with the receptionist, we had to make the decision of whether to schedule our anatomy ultrasound a week earlier or a week later than the recommended (by our practice) 19 weeks. The ultrasound tech is out my whole 19th week - how dare she! Our predicament - waiting until 20 weeks means waiting until the first of January and not celebrating our baby boy or girl over Christmas. So.... we're going for it and (hopefully) finding out the sex a week early on Dec. 21st.

So, which way am I leaning? I've had dreams about a baby boy, but for some reason, I think we're having a girl. On two separate occasions, my mom and Ali both told me they thought girl too. I have different, but equal, desires for boy and girl, so I'm going to be ecstatic either way. Jimmy's on the same page.

Please let us know what you think baby will be by casting your vote in our poll at the top of the page. Remember what you chose because I'd like to get some Team Boy/Team Girl action going somehow to include friends and family on the excitement of the next couple weeks.

BOY
Despite being without make-up and my hair brushed, I think I look "good" with a baby boy in my arms. Between Henry, my adorable nephew, Connor, and my new little buddy in CA, Wyatt, I'm a softy for baby boys. I'd love for the oldest child to be a big brother like Colin and Jimmy.

Baby and photo - Borrowed from Lindsey

GIRL

Who doesn't love a baby girl? So fun to dress as a baby and do girly things with as a young lady. Characteristically less rambunctious than little boys. It definitely seems to be the year or years of "the boy", but I do have one little girl love - Miss Lucy in CA. 

Lucy visiting CB - July 2010

13 Weeks Wednesday...

...doesn't mean much except that I haven't posted first trimester belly pictures yet. While thin, I kind of have a baby bump shaped lower belly anyways??

5 weeks and "tanner" for me. Excuse my sloppy butt sweatpants.

12 weeks - up close, totally different angle, "self portrait". For the shots that count, I'll make sure Jimmy takes them and we're consistent on the angle, etc.

I've noticed just in the last day or so, that I'm looking "softer". It's so funny the tricks my mind plays on me. I know I'm preggers and I know I'm exercising and eating fairly normal, yet I find myself doubting whether the start of a gut is really the baby. Very fun and exciting to see my body change. The 16 week picture should be interesting!

New Meaning to the phrase "Mom Jeans"

My first time trying on maternity jeans...A very sweet co-worker of mine had a hand-me-down pair that didn't fit her, so she graciously offered them to me. The verdict: Ick. Let's just say I refuse to let my butt and thighs fill out these suckers. The pockets come halfway down the back of my leg. And yes, I just took a picture of my butt and posted it on the internet.

When the time comes, I vow to get a cute, normal rump shaped pair of maternity jeans!